Who is eligible to apply for selection to the National Honor Society?
Juniors and seniors (juniors must have been enrolled at Community High School for at least one semester before becoming eligible, seniors are immediately eligible) with a cumulative, weighted Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4.50 or greater may submit a survey detailing their leadership and service to be considered for selection.
What are the requirements for selection?
Students must demonstrate high levels of scholarship (GPA), leadership, service and character to be selected.
How is information collected?
The school provides information about GPA so that an invitation to apply to National Honor Society may be sent to eligible students. Eligible students who are interested in doing so submit a survey detailing their leadership and service. The NHS Selection Advisor then collects character information from the school’s faculty and staff about the students who have submitted surveys.
What is the timeline for the Fall 2024 selection process?
Early-July - Students who are eligible for selection should receive an email and mailed packet identifying their eligibility and inviting them to submit a survey detailing their leadership and service to be considered for selection.
August 21 - Optional informational meetings for eligible students with questions will be held from 3:10 - 4:00 p.m. in room 2147.
August 30 - All surveys detailing the leadership and service of eligible students must be submitted to the NHS box in the Student Activities Center by 3:10 p.m. No exceptions are made for late or incomplete surveys. It is the student's responsibility to ensure all parts of the survey are completed before submission.
September 8 - Students who submitted their surveys to be considered for selection should receive an email identifying if they were selected or not selected. This date may be moved due to Faculty Council meeting availability, and if so, a revised date will be posted here.
September 20 - Students who have been invited to join NHS must submit their completed Acceptance Contract and $20 dues to the Mrs. Fireman in room 2147 by 3:10 p.m. No exceptions are made for late Acceptance Contracts or dues.
September 24/26 - New members will attend the chapter meeting to discuss the upcoming Induction. A morning and afternoon option will be offered (TBD). Attendance is mandatory.
September 29 - National Honor Society Induction Ceremony. More details about the ceremony will be provide to students in the acceptance letter, and in the Induction section of this website. Students must be in attendance in order to be members. Again, no exceptions are made.
Why is there a sustained period between when students submit their surveys and when they are notified of the selection decision?
The members of the Faculty Selection Committee read every student’s survey prior to the selection meeting. This takes about two weeks, as many students apply for inclusion in the chapter. During those same two weeks, the NHS Advisor collects character information from the faculty and staff. The Faculty Selection Committee requires an entire school day to make its decision about the more than 150 students who submit their surveys. Letters are then prepared for selected students and sent out in the week following the selection meeting.
How is the selection decision made by the Faculty Selection Committee?
Each student’s survey and character information is considered by the five-member Faculty Selection Committee, and a decision about selection is made by majority vote. The committee members’ names are not provided to students, nor parents. The NHS Advisor is not a voting member in the committee.
How is the decision of the Faculty Selection Committee delivered to students?
Each student who has submitted a survey for consideration is notified of the decision of the Faculty Selection Committee by email on the same date.
How many students are eligible for selection?
The number varies from year to year, depending on how many students meet the GPA requirement.
How many students submit surveys to be considered for selection?
Again, the number varies from year to year, depending on how many students are interested in going through the process. Since 2015, it has varied from 241 to 278 (juniors and seniors combined); just over 50% of those who are eligible.
How many of the students who apply are selected?
Again, the number varies from year to year, depending on how many students meet the criteria for selection. Since 2015, it has varied from 30 to 80 students (juniors and seniors combined); around 46% of those who submit their survey.
Is there a limit to the number of students who can be selected?
There is no limit to the number of students who can be selected. Those students who have met the criteria for selection in the professional judgement of the Faculty Selection Committee are accepted.
How can a student get additional information, if desired, if not selected?
The NHS Advisor collects information at the selection meeting about the decision reached by the Faculty Selection Committee. Please contact the NHS Advisor if need be for clarification about the reason(s) for the decision.
If students are not selected as juniors, can they submit their surveys to be considered for selection as seniors?
Yes, as long as the students still meet the GPA requirement. If so, they will be sent another mailing the following August and may complete another survey to submit to the committee.
For many students, selection is a two-year process. As juniors, they may not have high enough levels of service, character and (usually) leadership, but by their senior year, they may have reached the necessary levels. The Faculty Selection Committee will ask if the student came in for feedback, so students who are not chosen for NHS as juniors are highly encouraged to speak to the NHS Advisor.
Whom do I contact for more information about the selection process?
More information is available on the Community High School NHS website, which can be accessed here, or you may contact the NHS Advisor, Leslie Fireman, at lfireman@d94.org.